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# 065 <3.25> Win, Place, and Show Season time frame: A month has gone by since Maggie was discharged from the hospital. That month between the end of # 064 and the beginning of this episode is only referred to in dialog. Giving respect to the interpretation in # 064, it must be around the beginning of February 1984 now. In # 064, Pamela, however, said Richard still had three weeks to get the trophy for the opening of Tuscany Downs repaired. This seems to be rather mysterious if she referred to the opening day itself, but quite logical if she meant a deadline for the preparations, e.g. about a week prior to the opening. It is the opening day of Tuscany Downs — the groundbreaking ceremony had already happened in # 054 (at the end of September / beginning of October 1983). Nine weeks have gone by since the first race was scheduled (see # 058). The complete period of construction work was only four months, which seems unusually short for a project of that size, even considering the overtime Richard insisted on. Julia escaped from the mental institution almost three months ago according to Dr. Foster; it happened in # 060. This is a very inaccurate estimation by the psychiatrist because the period has to be shorter, considering only nine weeks went by between # 058 and the current episode.
LORIMAR's original blueprints of this set and many others are available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Interior Sets section.   The picture in the hallway to the conference room at the Whitewood Industries headquarters is the same prop that has been hanging on the wall in Michael Ranson's office at the Tuscany Valley Hospital.Episode time frame: According to Crane, Richard will be dead before the week is out. The period of time between this statement and the assassination attempt scheduled during opening of Tuscany Downs (at the end of the episode) is less than seven days. Inside joke: Deputy Dave Scott, Lucas' friend, is named after crew member DAVID "DAVE" SCOTT (second assistant camera).
 Uncredited stand-in GORDON HODGINS appears as an extra again — first in this episode, as a USPS mailman in the residential street in Tuscany where Cole and Linda live. See below for his two later appearances in this episode, one of them in a different rôle.Compare # 182 for a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about GORDON HODGINS, compare # 001. Mistake: Depending on the take and camera angle, GORDON, as mailman, goes with letters in his hand to the front door of the very same house in the background several times. This is a mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.
Melissa's gynecologist is no longer called Dr. Monroe (as in season 1 — # 015 and 016), but Dr. Mitchell now. The script suggested a new male doctor by the name Mitchell before the producers realized they could rehire actress PENELOPE WINDUST. The name in the script was not revised, however, to match her rôle's name. But maybe she married in the meantime.
  Despite LORIMAR's "new wardrobe for new season" policy, this episode, Melissa wears the same dress as in # 016 (season 1) and # 029 (season 2).Inside joke: The costumers chose that very dress for Melissa to wear in the scene with her gynecologist exactly as in # 016 when she last saw her doctor. Early script drafts contained a scene in which Dr. Foster, after leaving Angela's study, runs into Emma in the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion foyer. When he asks her why she has not returned his many phone calls, they realize that Angela and Chao-Li must have kept them a secret from Emma. She finally agrees that he will be her escort for the opening day at Tuscany Downs. That scene was omitted, and so was his participation in the opening festivities at the race track. Deputy Scott mentions his cousin Benny Ray as a pheasant hunter. That character will never be seen on the show. Interestingly enough, Benny Ray is a name that this episode's writer, BOB McCULLOUGH, used several times — also on a series entitled "Soldier of Fortune" a.k.a. "Special Ops Force", where he later worked with DAVID SELBY and writer GREG STRANGIS again. It ran between 1997 and 1999 and starred TIM ABELL in the rôle of Benny Ray Riddle. The reason for BOB McCULLOUGH's use of the name Benny Ray on his productions from time to time is an inside joke from his career: When BOB worked on "The Six Million Dollar Man" in the 1970's, he was filming on location with LEE MAJORS in the rural area of Kanab, UT. When they were driving, they met a friendly deputy by the name of Benny Ray Riddle. BOB thought it was a funny name that sounded almost made up — "too alliterative and poetic... and culturally appropriate and descriptive", as BOB stated. So BOB decided to "borrow" his name and kind of immortalize the friendly deputy in his scripts.
Inside joke: His fellow deputies' names mentioned by Deputy Scott (Knowles, Fuller and Yaffe) are "borrowed" from the show's crew members working in the sound department: EDDIE KNOWLES, KENNY FULLER and DAVID BARR YAFFE. Early script drafts contained the name Atchison instead of Yaffe in Scott's dialog. ROBERT ATCHISON is also a crew member from the show's sound department. The original name for Midland County, CA where Lucas' farm is (close to Reno, NV) was Pershing County in early script drafts. Note that the unused name, Pershing, will be used as the last name of Maggie's biological mother in season 4.   On the street of Linda and Cole's home, the usual light yellow Ford Pinto Runabout, a well known car, drives by (screen capture 1). Compare # 001 for details.Just a few seconds later, the usual black / beige Buick LeSabre drives by (screen grab 2). This is also a well known car. Compare # 013 for details.  After his first scene in this episode (as a mailman; see above), uncredited stand-in GORDON HODGINS appears as an extra again — now in his usual rôle as a Tuscany Valley gentleman, driving by Linda and Cole's house in the aforementioned Ford Pinto Runabout (the extra's own car). See below for his third appearance in this episode.Compare # 182 for a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about GORDON HODGINS, compare # 001.   This episode's exterior shots of Tuscany Downs and the establishing shot of the club house, which will later be used regularly, are taken at the former Hollywood Park Turf Club in Inglewood, CA near the Los Angeles International Airport. The race track, which was an old L.A. legend, was closed in 2013 to be demolished for real estate redevelopment.The right picture shows what the entrance to the race track looked like in 2007, having undergone major renovation, until it was demolished.
 Uncredited extra PAUL VAN appears in his usual rôle as the mustached Tuscany Valley doctor again — this time as a guest at the opening festivities of Tuscany Downs.Compare # 227 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of all his appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 014.  Uncredited stand-in MARTHA MANOR appears as an extra again — this time as a Tuscany Valley socialite (in a completely black outfit with hat), who is a guest at the opening of Tuscany Downs.Compare # 213 for a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about MARTHA MANOR, compare # 001.  After his two earlier scenes in this episode (see above), uncredited stand-in GORDON HODGINS appears a third time — aside from his earlier scene as a mailman and his usual rôle as a Tuscany Valley gentleman, he is now playing the aforementioned gentleman part again at the opening festivities of Tuscany Downs.Compare # 182 for a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about GORDON HODGINS, compare # 001.   Uncredited extra DOUGLAS MAIDA appears as Dave in this episode again — this time, not at his place of work in the hospital, but as a guest at the opening of Tuscany Downs.Compare # 224 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 034.
 Uncredited extra JACK BERLE appears as the white-haired mustached gentleman from the Tuscany Valley again — this time at the Tuscany Downs opening.Compare # 078 for a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 057. Inside joke: In the very first scene at Tuscany Downs, JACK BERLE is seen from behind only, but when he shakes hands with Richard, DAVID SELBY even ad-libs the extra's real first name to his greetings: "Hello, Jack, thanks for coming."
Early script drafts suggested that — besides Chase — Angela deliver a speech at the opening gala for Tuscany Downs also. Chase's speech was originally scripted to merely criticize and insult Richard. In the final draft of the script, Angie's speech was omitted, and Chase's speech rewritten into his devious and manipulative announcement that Richard "agreed to donate" 15 % of the gross profits of the race track to the county.
Prop: Phillip's engagement ring for Angela: a 12-carat ice-blue solitaire.
 The "Welcome to Tuscany Valley" sign shows the logos of a few fictional entities: Judical International, Private Assistance Group and Tuscany Valley Grape Collective.The filming location for the street where Julia returns to the Tuscany Valley is Lima Street on the backlot of THE BURBANK STUDIOS (nowadays WARNER BROS. STUDIOS), which is situated between the jungle / lagoon area on the east and the producers' buildings and their parking lots on the west. The car giving Julia a ride drives from the southern end of the studio lot towards the camera in northern direction. The "Welcome to Tuscany Valley" prop sign was installed quite near the jungle entrance that is usually propped with the gate to Richard's home on Hilltop Road (compare # 049). A similar perspective in daylight was featured in # 050 when Richard and Pamela drove along Hilltop Road in his Rolls-Royce (same direction). Compared with the night scene of Phillip in his Jaguar from # 030, which was filmed on the same street, the car in the current scene with Julia drives in the opposite direction. ← Previous episode... → Next episode... |
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